What is flashing on your roof, and why do we care so much about it?

What is flashing on your roof, and why do we care so much about it?

What is flashing on your roof, and why do we care so much about it?

Well, it isn’t the kind of flashing done by lights on your roof. We’re talking about the kind that holds things together, and keeps water from leaking into your home — it’s thin pieces of sheet metal that keep water from seeping into the places where chimneys, vents, and skylights meet the roof itself.

If the flashing isn’t there on your roof, in rainy weather, you’ll have gigantic leaks into your house, as water runs into the roofing materials and then into your home in the unprotected crevices. Flashing is in danger when we have a freeze and ice builds on the roof, and pushes the flashing out of place, leaving holes in the roof. Another danger is from ice dams that can build up when gutters aren’t working properly. They can let ice melt in puddles on your roof and seek places to run to, like underneath the flashing.

Wind, hail, rain, and ice can destroy the snugness and safety of any home. It can destroy the roof. Wind can lift up the flashing, rain can pour into the gaps, ice can freeze inside them and wait for warmer weather to melt, and water to crawl down your walls in your home.

It’s a good idea to have your flashing (as well as your entire roof) checked out before expensive repairs result from what seems like small problems.

Royal Crown Roofing can do this for you. Contact them!

What do you do if you have water leaking down your walls and from your ceiling and no one can find the source?

What do you do if you have water leaking down your walls and from your ceiling and no one can find the source?

It can originate anywhere in your roof—even rooms away—and drip from ceilings and down walls, leaving yellow stains. What do you do?

Do you tear your roof apart until you find it? And what if in addition to the water dripping from your ceiling and walls, you smell a musty odor and wonder if mold is growing?

Before you move out, contact Royal Crown Roofing for their help pinpointing the source of the leak without destroying your expensive roof, walls, and ceiling. They can use their thermal imaging cameras to find where the moisture and water are hiding inside your roof so the problem can be rectified.

Thermography is non-destructive, so no part of the roof needs to be removed for it to work. It can find problems in areas you couldn’t easily access, even if you did tear your roof apart. The images it creates are easy to read and are produced quickly so fixing the leaks can be done immediately, saving both time and money. This process, in addition to locating current leaks, can also indicate where the roof is weak and where future leaks may occur when weakened by time or the weather.

Contact Royal Crown Roofing today for a free inspection and get set up to do the thermal imaging. When they find out what’s going on, they can take care of repairs quickly before winter sets in.

How do you know if you have a flashing leak in your roof?

How do you know if you have a flashing leak in your roof?

The obvious sign is water puddles appearing on your floor, water dripping from the ceiling, or water leaking down your walls, creating ugly yellow stains. Improperly installed or damaged flashing is a common problem. When water does leak down a wall, the problem could be located in the flashing where the roof and wall connect, which can rust out due to age, or crack and dry out in our hot Houston sun. With this damage, flashing can lose its seal, and when storms and high winds come, water can drip down your interior walls.

Don’t be frightened, though—damaged flashing is much easier and less expensive to take care of than installing an entire roof. In fact, the cost can be minimal, but if not fixed in a timely fashion, the damage to the interior of your home can be enormous. To create a strong barrier to the weather, continuous flashing and weather-proofing materials need to be installed along the wall and roof.

Unfortunately, almost all of us have to deal with leaky roofs at some point in our lives. It’s a very unpleasant thing to live with. And you don’t need to live with it. Call Royal Crown Roofing for an inspection to find out what’s going on. It’s free!

Is a roof leaking just a little bit something to worry about?

Is a roof leaking just a little bit something to worry about?

Are you finding small puddles in the corner of a room or moisture on the walls in one part of the building or house? Or, does water drip a little from the ceiling when it rains? Why not just put a bucket under the leak and hope for the best? Why not wait for a two- or three-bucket leak or a ceiling falling in to check out the roof?

We all know that’s foolishness!

What are some of the big indicators that your roof has problems that need to be fixed? One is when you notice missing shingles, or moisture or rotting wood in the attic. These can be addressed in a timely manner to avoid emergencies.

But, what do you do if you can’t find the leak?

Sometimes leaks can’t easily be found without spending a lot of time and money looking for them. Royal Crown Roofing has the solution to saving your time and money. They have specialized equipment that can spot leaks quickly and effectively in the form of an infrared camera that gives an accurate picture of your roof’s condition. It can detect even the smallest leaks so they can be repaired before disaster strikes during some terrible storm. The camera can detect moisture, mold and mold erosion and any damage already done to the roof.

Let Royal Crown Roofing find those hidden leaks and make the repairs before they expand to the point of water pouring into your home. They are there to help you.

How to Block Roof Leaks While You Wait for Repairs

How to Block Roof Leaks While You Wait for Repairs

From time to time, you’ll find yourself dealing with a leaky roof and no easy solution. Maybe it’s a holiday weekend and your roof repair service can’t come for a few days, or maybe they’re waiting on supplies themselves. Whatever the cause, the situation likely calls for a temporary roof repair while you wait for a permanent solution.

Don’t let potential water damage to your home get any worse while you wait on permanent roof repairs. With careful efforts, you can make a temporary roof patch to prevent further problems. There are 3 primary methods of roof patching that you’ll likely have to do.

Sometimes a temporary roof patch is required. Learn how to protect the rest of your house while you wait on permanent, professional repairs. Click To Tweet

Waterproof Tarp

This is the simplest, cheapest, and most common solution–simply cover the affected area with a waterproof tarp. Cover the entire damaged area on your roof, smooth the tarp out, nail it in place, and cover the heads of the nails with a little roofing cement to seal any more tiny holes. Though this will keep the rain out in the meantime, a tarp is obviously not a permanent solution to the ultimate problem. Don’t delay the roof repair any longer than you can get away with.

Pro Tip: NEVER walk on your roof while it’s raining outside–the fall risk is simply too high. If you don’t get a chance to apply the tarp during a break in the rain, see if you can mount the tarp from inside.

Reattach Loose Shingles

If the leak is caused only by a few shingles beginning to come loose, the temporary fix is very simple. Smooth the shingles back down or shift them back into place, then nail or staple them to cover the exposed area again. Once again, this is not a permanent solution, but it offers slightly more leak protection than a tarp.

Substitute Shingles

If the shingles have gone missing entirely or broken and you don’t have extras, you may have to jury-rig a temporary set of shingles in the meantime. Carefully cut out sheet metal in the shape of a shingle and attach it to the roof just as you would a typical shingle. Cover the nails with roofing cement to prevent the leak from coming back. Finally, keep a careful eye on your handiwork to make sure the leak doesn’t spread while you wait for a professional.

Protect the Rest of Your House

Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against the rain. Since a leak compromises this protection, it’s important to stop leaks as soon as possible. Though emergency work is a much better option, a temporary roof repair will do in the short term to save you thousands of dollars in further water damage to the rest of your house.

Connect with us for more information on storm repairs and dealing with a leaking roof.